时代周刊:疫情之下 汽车影院迎来新的生机(3)

His financial success has enabled him to turn his drive-in into a sort of commons.

财运亨通的他还将自己的汽车影院打造成了一片公共事业用地。

The Hounds has hosted dance recitals¹ and pet organizations;

猎犬汽车影院还举办了舞蹈表演，宠物活动；

it's welcomed more than a dozen graduating high school classes free of charge.

还免费给十几个高中毕业班提供了毕业典礼场地。

Students received their diplomas on the big screen as their families watched from their cars.

学生们在大荧幕前领取毕业证书，他们的家人则坐在车内观礼。

According to Scott Neisler, the mayor of Kings Mountain,

据国王山市长斯科特·内斯勒透露，

the Hounds' active presence has resulted in a local economic boost.

猎犬汽车影院的积极活动甚至还带动了当地的经济发展。

He also staged the city's Fourth of July fireworks show there, in order to celebrate the holiday safely.

为安全起见，他甚至将7月4日（国庆日）该市的烟花表演都安排在了猎犬汽车影院。

But a storybook ending for drive-ins might prove elusive².

然而，故事书似的结局对汽车影院而言或许有些遥不可及。

Their new, outsize role in public life has not always ensured their financial health.

他们在公共生活中新发挥的巨大作用并不总能保证他们拥有健康的财务。

The Bengies Drive-In Theatre, in Middle River, Md.,

马里兰州米德河的本吉斯汽车影院

has opened every day of some weeks, with concerts, church services and more.

已经连日开放数周，举办的活动有音乐会、礼拜等。

But the theater is operating at less than half capacity to promote social distancing,

然而，为了满足隔离要求，该影院当前的接待量还不到额定量的一半，

and has taken on a much bigger staff to control safety and crowding.

为了管理安全和拥挤问题还额外聘请了工作人员。

"The public thinks we're a cash cow," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel.

“公众以为我们是棵摇钱树，”本吉斯影院老板D.爱德华·沃格尔说。

"But it's been very hard on us."

“但我们的日子真的过得挺艰难的。”

Pop-up theaters emerging since the start of the pandemic, says Vogel, are "breaking my heart."

沃格尔说，大流行开始以来涌现的临时影院“已经伤透了我的心”。

He is particularly worried about the 160 temporary drive-ins arriving in Walmart parking lots—featuring films chosen by Tribeca Enterprises—in August.

尤其令他担忧的是8月份陆续登陆沃尔玛停车场的160家临时汽车影院——这些影院放映的都是翠贝卡电影节举办方挑选的电影。

These spaces could further squeeze the independent operators.

他们可能会进一步挤压独立汽车影院的生存空间。

(A representative for Walmart did not respond to a request for comment.)

(沃尔玛的一名代表没有回复记者的置评请求。)。

At the 66 Drive-In in Missouri, Mc-Donald doubts he can make it to the fall,

因为客容量下降，电影排挡空白，加之人们开始自己携带食物，

because of decreased capacity, a blank movie slate³ and people bringing their own food instead of buying from the concession⁴ stand.

不再从特许摊位购买食物等原因，密苏里州66号汽车影院的老板麦克唐纳已经怀疑自己是否还能扛到秋天。

His financial plight⁵ is worrisome to David Fowler, pastor⁶ of the First United Methodist Church of Carthage, Mo.,

麦克唐纳的财务困难令密苏里州迦太基第一联合卫理公会教堂的牧师大卫·福勒也颇感担忧，

who has been holding services from the snack-bar roof every Sunday, to growing crowds.

因为最近他每周都是在该影院摆放小吃摊位的屋顶主持礼拜的。

His congregation appreciates seeing fellow worshippers in person, as opposed to sitting at home alone.

他的会众喜欢和会友一起，而不是独自坐在家里礼拜。

"It's a bit of Americana I'd hate to see lost," says Fowler.

“我不愿看到我们失去这种比较美国式的礼拜方式，”福勒说。

In face of such hardships, drive-ins fight on for survival.

面对这样的困难，汽车影院依然没有放弃抗争。

In Buda, Texas, Doc's Drive-In has housed graduations, soccer watch parties and two weddings, including the Leavertons'.

德克萨斯州布达的Doc家汽车影院举办过毕业典礼、足球赛观看派对和两场婚礼，其中一场便是利弗顿夫妇的婚礼。

In April, 45 cars rolled up on each side of a dirtroad aisle⁷.

今年4月，45辆汽车沿着一条土路排成两列。

The couple, who paid $4,000 to book Doc's, swapped⁸ heels for boots and stood on a rickety stage,

这对夫妇，他们花了4000美元预订这家影院，将高跟鞋换成了靴子，他们站上了一个摇摇晃晃的舞台，

swatting away june bugs⁹ as an officiant married them from 6 ft. away.

拍着甲壳虫，主礼嘉宾则在距离二人6英尺开外的地方为二人主持了仪式。

"It turned out the wedding we had was way, way better than anything we could have dreamed of," Lindsey says.

“事实证明，我们最后举行的婚礼比我们能想象到的任何婚礼都要好得多得多，”林赛说。

After the ceremony, Airplane! played on the big screen.

仪式结束后，大屏幕便播放起了《 Airplane!》。

1 recitals   

n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 )；独奏会；小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等；一系列事件等的详述

参考例句：

• His recitals have earned him recognition as a talented performer. 他的演奏会使他赢得了天才演奏家的赞誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her teachers love her playing, and encourage her to recitals. 她的老师欣赏她的演奏，并鼓励她举办独奏会。 来自互联网

2 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

3 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

4 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

5 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

6 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

7 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

8 swapped   

交换（工作）( swap的过去式和过去分词 )； 用…替换，把…换成，掉换（过来）

参考例句：

• I liked her coat and she liked mine, so we swapped. 我喜欢她的外套，她喜欢我的外套，于是我们就交换了。
• At half-time the manager swapped some of the players around. 经理在半场时把几名队员换下了场。

9 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》